Without You: Book 1 of the Changing Hearts Series

by Yesenia Vargas

  Mayra, Jimmy, and Lucas were making conversation, but she wasn’t paying attention.

  The bell rang. It was time for her day of torture to begin. She automatically got up and headed towards the cafeteria doors, her trash in hand and her backpack slung on her shoulder. She threw the trash away and headed out with a sigh.

  “Hey, wait up, beautiful,” Lucas said as he caught up and grabbed her hand. “Let me walk you.”

  “I guess,” she said.

  “It’s really not that bad. Think of it as a mental vacation from everyone and everything,” he said with a smile.

  She stared at him. “Really? That’s the best you got?”

  He shrugged, and they kept walking.

  “I told you that she has ISS today too, right? And I cannot get into any more trouble if this is going to stay off of my record.”

  “You’ll be fine.” It was obvious Lucas knew who she was talking about.

  They were at the designated ISS room. Which she had never even been in. She tried to prepare herself, but it was no use.

  “I’ll see you later, okay? It’s one day. It’ll be over soon,” Lucas said. He gave her a peck on the lips before leaving for his first period class. She watched him walk away, wishing they could skip school or something to get away today.

  That made her think of senior skip day next semester. At least that made her smile, thinking of the possibilities with Lucas.

  She walked into ISS, shutting the door behind her. There were a couple of other people there, students she didn’t really know. There were several long tables, but they were all enclosed by three wooden walls to minimize any kind of social interaction.

  She recognized the football coach at his desk in a corner. “Sign in. Take a seat,” he said without so much as a glance.

  Ariana looked to her right and saw a clipboard with today’s date and a list of names. She found hers and printed her name and the time.

  She looked around as she contemplated where to sit. She found a spot with a half decent view of the only window with the blinds open.

  She put down her backpack and took a seat. Wendy wasn’t here yet. She wondered what she was supposed to do. She tried to look around without being obvious. Everyone else seemed to be taking a nap.

  The bell rang, and Wendy ran in. They made eye contact over the desk cubicles, and Wendy smirked as she took a seat at an adjacent table. Now they could see each other if Wendy turned her head a bit.

  Ariana rolled her eyes, and positioned herself so the cubicle hid her face. The last thing she needed was any additional trouble.

  The coach began calling out the roll, making a note of some guy who hadn’t shown up.

  “I’m noticing we have a couple of new people here today, so I’ll review the rules very quickly,” the coach said, looking directly at Wendy and Ariana. She wondered why he seemed so bitter. She guessed being the ISS teacher probably wasn’t the most enjoyable teaching position.

  “There is absolutely no talking, under any circumstances. And none of that “what if I’m bleeding to death or on fire” crap. There is to be absolutely no use of devices. In fact, get ready to give them to me.”

  He held up a clear plastic container.

  “If you think you’d rather keep your phone in your pocket and pretend you don’t have one, think again. If it even so much as thinks of vibrating, get ready to spend another day in here with me.

  “Third rule. You are to absolutely always be working. When you come up here to give me your phone, I will give you your packet of work for the day. If it’s not done by seventh period, guess what? You get to spend the next day with me. And on the off chance you do get done early, don’t worry. We’ll come up with something for you to do. At the end of the day, you will bring your packet of work to me. Don’t ask to go to the bathroom or drink water.”

  He paused for a second to swallow before continuing. “There will be three breaks today and not during class change. You will also walk to the cafeteria with me to get your lunch and walk straight back here to eat. Then you’ll walk back to drop off your tray. Any questions?” He paused to look around for about two seconds. He was still standing next to his desk. “I didn’t think so.”

  Ariana looked around. There was one kid with his head still down, but it seemed that the coach’s speech had woken everyone else up. She saw a couple of people check their phones one last time. She did the same. Nothing. She sighed.

  “Silently walk up and drop off your phone. Make sure it is off.”

  One by one, everyone slowly got up and walked to the coach’s desk where he had placed the plastic container. Ariana was at the end of the line. Wendy was right in front of her with her arms crossed, her phone in one hand. Ariana turned hers off.

  She watched the coach hand packets to each student in line with hardly a glance.

  It was finally her turn. There was just one packet left on the desk. The coach handed it to her as he sat back down without even calling out her name. She put her phone in the plastic bin and headed back to her seat. She used both arms to carry the packet back to her desk. It weighed at least three pounds.

  ###

  By lunch, Ariana was sure she was losing it. She was making steady progress with her work. She had even begun eagerly, hoping to finish a bit early and lay her head down at least. But after three hours in, she was starting to get antsy, silently tapping her foot and looking around more and more, mostly behind her since she couldn’t look in front of her without standing up a little and risk being seen by the coach. Meanwhile, the coach would grunt every now and then or shift in his seat. Other than that or the occasional cough, it was completely silent.

  Except for when the bell rang and classes changed. That was the only way she was able to keep track of time. She pictured Lucas walking to his next class. I should be walking with him, Ariana thought. Her hand in his, a hug before he rushed off. Eating lunch together and talking about things. Instead, she was stuck in ISS. Ariana glanced at Wendy, who had her head in her hands.

  “Time for lunch,” the coach announced. “No talking. Grab your food and come straight back.”

  They all got up quickly and walked to the cafeteria. Ariana stretched her legs and arms as she walked behind everyone else. They entered the cafeteria. There wasn’t anyone in there. It looked like everyone else had already had lunch. She sighed and got in one of the two lines. Wendy went to the other one.

  She grabbed a drink from the vending machine before heading back to the ISS room. Ariana held her styrofoam plate in one hand as she got a dollar and some change out of her jean pocket and pushed them into the slots. As she bent down to retrieve her soda, someone bumped into her, hard. Her food went everywhere, and the styrofoam plate was the only thing left in her hands. Her hamburger patty was on the floor, the bun next to it, along with a pool of diced peaches and the syrup.

  Before she was even done processing that her entire lunch was on the floor, she looked up to see Wendy smirk before walking off with her lunch tray.

  She got up lightning fast, her drink still in the vending machine, and power walked to Wendy. Wendy turned around, chin held high.

  “You bi—” she began.

  “Something going on?” The coach appeared from around the corner. She saw him look behind her at the mess next to the machines before looking back at her. “Clean it up, grab another tray, and get back to class. You,” he said to Wendy. She turned around and looked at him. “What are you waiting for?”

  He and Wendy left but not before Wendy glanced back at her with a smirk.

  Ariana’s fists were shaking, and she was breathing like she had just run a 5K. What had just happened? Why was Wendy making her day a living hell? She stood there, thinking of the things she could do to her, before slowly walking back into the cafeteria for napkins.

  A few minutes later, she had cleaned up most of the mess and informed the lunch ladies that she had dropped her tray.

  “I got most of it,” she told one of the lunch
ladies as she looked down at her new tray of food. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll clean it in just a sec.”

  She walked back to ISS without another word, grabbing her drink on the way.

  As she walked past Wendy, she forced herself not to put her small tray of peaches down the back of her shirt.

  ###

  Ariana had to think. Surely it was almost time to go home. The seventh period bell must have rung at least thirty minutes ago, maybe forty.

  She looked at her last worksheet. All of her teachers had sent along several of them, and the coach had obviously put in a nice thick stack of mundane ones as well.

  She closed her eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath. Her brain felt like sludge. She couldn’t think anymore. She desperately needed social interaction.

  Ariana made herself open her eyes and slowly finish these last math problems. She didn’t care if they were right. She just wanted out.

  She stared at the last row of problems, and her eyes teared up. When is the bell gonna ring? she wondered.

  Just as she began her last problem, the afternoon announcements came on.

  She put her pencil down and put the stack of papers back in the manila folder. Then she put her backpack on around her shoulders and folded her left leg to sit on so she could glance at the coach. She eyed the plastic container of cell phones. The announcements were finally finished, and everyone else was moving around, just as anxious to leave. She resolved not to look in Wendy’s direction.

  “When I call your name, turn in your packets and pick up your device,” the coach said.

  Thankfully, Ariana was one of the first people called. She power walked up to his desk and handed him her packet with both hands before reaching in for her phone. She turned it on while she returned to her desk. By the time she was seated, everyone else was called up and the bell finally rang.

  The sound rang loudly through her ears, and she smiled as she got up and left. As soon as she stepped out into the hallway, she checked to see if she had messages, but before she could check, she felt someone grab her from behind and hug her.

  She turned around. It was Lucas.

  “Hey,” he said quietly, his eyes gleaming.

  She closed her eyes and kissed him, not caring who saw. Her arms went around his neck, and he hugged her waist. After a couple of seconds, they parted, and Ariana noticed someone staring at them. It was Wendy. Just as she met her eyes, Wendy turned quickly and began walking away in the opposite direction. Ariana tried to put a word to the look she had seen on her face. She looked like she had just been slapped.

  ###

  “Did you see that?” Ariana asked Lucas, still staring after Wendy.

  “What?” Lucas asked.

  “Wendy,” Ariana said. “The look she gave me. Us.”

  They began walking towards his locker. “To be honest, I don’t pay attention to her. What happened with her is in the past.”

  Ariana wanted to ask what had happened between them but figured it wasn’t the right time to ask. And she didn’t know if she wanted to know anyway. It still bothered her that such a good guy like Lucas had fallen for someone as evil as Wendy.

  She sighed, and they walked to his locker around the corner and down the hallway.

  “It was so boring in there. I seriously thought it would never end,” she said as she watched Lucas grab stuff from his locker.

  “Yeah, it pretty much sucks. I wish I could take you out to distract you from it, but A, I don’t think your parents would love the idea of me taking you out on a school night, and B, I have to work,” he said as he shut his locker. They took each other’s hands and walked out of the school.

  It sucked that Lucas had to work so much. She had looked forward to talking to him after school to get her mind off things, and really just to hear his voice. But they wouldn’t be able to chat until ten o’clock tonight when he got home, and even then, he would be tired, have to shower, do homework, and get to bed. They mostly texted, especially during the week.

  She needed something else to do, besides college stuff.

  She made a mental note to start preparing for this year’s DECA competitions. Either that or find a hobby or do a sport. She thought of Mayra, but she didn’t want to take too much of her time now that she also hung out with Jimmy. She wondered if either of their parents knew about those two. Probably not.

  “What are you thinking about?” Lucas asked.

  “Nothing.” She tried to smile. “Just that I miss you.”

  Lucas laughed a little and put his thumb and finger on her chin. “I’m right here, babe.”

  She hugged him and pressed her face into his neck. Her arms were around his neck, and she didn’t care who saw.

  They walked up to their cars. They were parked next to each other. Ariana had beat Mayra there. She’d be back for Jimmy later.

  “I’ll see you later, okay?” Lucas said softly as he kissed her on the cheek.

  But she grabbed him around the waist before he could turn around and leave. She put her hands on his face and pulled him towards her. She took his mouth in hers, pulling on his lips and feeling his skin against her nose. Lucas squeezed her until their bodies were meshed together. She heard a car honk, maybe at them, but she didn’t open her eyes or pull back to see. She felt a hot pang in her chest as Lucas groaned inside her mouth.

  A few seconds later, Lucas stared at her, mouth still open. “What was that?”

  I love you.

  She caught the words before they came out of her mouth. She just stared at his eyes, wondering if he was thinking the same thing.

  Lucas closed his eyes as he came in for one more kiss, although shorter. “I’ll call you later.”

  Another kiss before he finally left, and she got into her car. She thought about her birthday coming up, and she realized Lucas was the best thing that had ever happened to her. The best gift. She couldn’t stand to lose him now.

  chapter eleven

  “Hey, just two and a half weeks left until your birthday,” Mayra said as they drove home, interrupting Ariana’s thoughts on last year. “Did you know that?”

  They were driving home from school. Jimmy was at practice.

  “It snuck up on me this year. I forgot all about it,” Ariana said. She focused on the road and tried not to think about last year’s birthday. It made her want to gag at everything that had happened.

  “It’s your eighteenth birthday. How could you forget it?” Mayra teased.

  She shrugged.

  “So are you doing anything?”

  “I don’t know. I guess just a family dinner like last year. I don’t know if I feel like doing much.”

  “We can go to my house again if you want. Rent some movies.” Mayra said while she looked at her phone.

  Ariana wanted to pretend she hadn’t heard. It reminded her too much of Carlos.

  Mayra glanced at her. “Or, hey. Let’s go out. Double date. Dinner and a movie.”

  Ariana nodded and smiled at Mayra. “That sounds fun. We can still do the family dinner, just on a different day.”

  “Yeah.” They turned into their subdivision. “So I wonder what Lucas is gonna get you for your birthday.” She drew out the first syllable.

  She sighed. “I actually haven’t told him yet.”

  “He doesn’t know your birthday is coming up? Didn’t he ask you when your birthday was?” Mayra asked.

  “Don’t get all…” Ariana searched for the right word. “You sound like my mom when I don’t sort the laundry right.”

  They laughed.

  “Still. How does he not know? Don’t make me do something about this.” Mayra was dead serious now.

  “I guess it just never came up. I’m gonna tell him.”

  “When?” They were in her driveway now. Ariana put the car in park.

  “I don’t know. Soon.”

  Mayra stared, squinting her eyes a little.

  “I will.” She put her hands
on the steering wheel, trying not to look away.

  “Oh, hey. You know what?” Mayra said out of nowhere.

  Ariana couldn’t help it. She smiled. “What?”

  “My mom said she might get me a car soon. She got a raise, and she’s been saving up. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Then I can finally get a job, and I’m gonna need a car for college anyway.”

  “That’s great,” Ariana said. She didn’t mind at all giving Mayra rides, but she knew she’d much rather have her own car. She still remembered the feeling of not having the freedom to do anything or go anywhere on her own.

  Mayra made to get out of the car, hooking her bag on her shoulder.

  “Hey,” she said as a thought popped into her mind. “How’s it going with you and Jimmy? Have you guys decided on anything yet?”

  Mayra looked out the window, leaving her arm on the bag handle. “Still just friends.” She was out of the car now, about to shut the door.

  “Is that what you want, though?” She didn’t want to pry, but she also wanted to be there for them. The both of them.

  “I have no idea. I really like him. It’s not that. I just don’t want to mess anything up.”

  “You know I’ll always be your friend. No matter what,” she said. “Him too.”

  “I know. I just,” she paused. “I don’t want to ever lose him. In any way.”

  “Well, you’ll never what could happen if you don’t try.”

  “That’s what sucks about the whole thing.”

  “So the friend thing. Whose idea was that?” Ariana said.

  Mayra sat back down. “Both of us. Mostly mine. He kinda wants to give it a shot. I’m still not a hundred percent sure, though.”

  “Are you worried at all what people would say? You guys are almost two years apart.”

  “Not really. It’s not that. There are a few couples like that at school, and come on. We’re about to go into real world. Age doesn’t really matter anymore.”

  “True. And he’s sixteen now. Since last spring. Almost seventeen,” she said.

  “Yep,” Mayra said. “We’ll see, I guess.”

  Finally, Mayra went into her house.